Type 1 diabetes is the most common chronic disease in children, and is more common than cancer and cystic fibrosis.

DID YOU KNOW? People with Type 1 diabetes face many serious long term health complications.

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong incurable disease, and without daily insulin injections people with Type 1 diabetes would die.

DID YOU KNOW? The cost to Australia of Type 1 diabetes is estimated to be $600m per annum.

DID YOU KNOW? Over 275 people a day are newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

DID YOU KNOW? Nearly 1 million Australians have Type 2 diabetes.

DID YOU KNOW? The cost to Australia of diabetes is nearly $7billion per annum.

DID YOU KNOW? Over 60% of people with Type 2 diabetes can overcome it with fitness and healthy lifestyle.

DRAKE PASSAGE (Ron Schwebel)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

It's been an enlightening trip across the famed Drake Passage, the body of water between Argentina and Antarctica, on the MV Plancius.

About 1200km of ocean that can often be treacherous to cross.

There are about 65 runners and supporters and maybe 50 other passengers.

They will be doing other activities such as Kayaking, Snowshoeing, Camping out, Photo Workshops and Mountain Climbing.

We left port around 6pm Thursday 22. Shortly after we had a safety briefing including an abandon ship drill.

We were shown two lifeboats which hold 60 people each. They look small submarines and have been referred to as "Vomit Comets".

It took about 4 or 5 hours to clear the Beagle Channel, which was very smooth. The first rocking came after that and gradually increased during the night. By morning, the ship was being tossed about by moderate swells, making walking more of a stagger. The first signs of seasickness were reported.

Most passengers are wearing a patch or taking medication. I am going to tough it out.

In the morning I looked out of the portholes to see quite a few seabirds following the ship. Mainly Petrels and Albatross.

The birds don't appear to fly but seem to continuously glide and swoop. Any flapping is almost imperceptible.

The swell increased during the day, and the winds as well, getting to 45 knots during the 2nd night. Passengers are now walking as in a more drunken state. At meal times, an occasional shriek is heard as a water jug or bottle of wine is toppled by a sudden tilt of the ship.

Seasickness is now more prevalent, as indicated by the number of empty seats at the meal tables.

I haven't escaped unscathed, my journey spoilt by a quick dash to the toilets yesterday afternoon. Today, I have acclimatised and feel good.

The other members of Born to Run have fared well.

It is now 6pm and soon we will move into more settled waters as we near the mainland of Antarctica.

Excitement is building as we all look forward to getting onto the shore. We have been briefed on boarding and disembarking Zodiacs, a small rubber ducky type craft we will use to get from Ship to Shore. We have also vacuumed all our outer garments and shoes to prevent contamination of the fragile Antarctic environment. We will also wear boots to go ashore, which will need to be disinfected.

We have been cautioned against leaving the slightest piece of rubbish behind. We have been given special permission to take food ashore, which cannot include fruit, nuts or dried chicken meals.

We had a briefing for the first days running, which is tomorrow. It is to be about 13 hours of running a figure 8 course of a 9km lap and a 4km lap, repeated.

The aid station is in the middle, and results are recorded as distance.

Tomorrow is significant for me, as I will have then been on every continent.